Graduation: Xiao Xu, We're Getting Married

During her freshman year, she couldn't understand what the older generation meant when they talked about everyone going their separate ways. Only when Jiang Xu herself became part of the "older generation" did she truly grasp its meaning.

Wang Yu wanted to take the graduate school entrance exam. She got along fine with everyone, not deep friendships, just friendly acquaintance. But she was the one who suggested the roommates get together and take some graduation photos for keepsakes. At this stage of parting and melancholy, everyone was infected by the atmosphere to some degree.

Even someone like Bai Tian, whose eyes were usually fixed on the top of her head, offered to book the restaurant.

So Jiang Xu took a day off to catch up with her roommates. Her internship provided housing, a single room. Jiang Xu wasn't as quiet as she'd been in her freshman year; she could now make small talk about irrelevant topics.

Jiang Xiaoxiao was happy, because her home wasn't close to C City, and after graduation, she planned to return. In her words, the pace of life here was too fast for her, too stressful, not a good fit. As a result, she seemed especially melancholic, and she even tolerated Bai Tian's bullying without complaint.

After taking the entire class photo, they specially asked someone to take a few group shots. In the evening, they arrived at the restaurant Bai Tian had booked. Rich people really spent generously—they never shortchanged themselves.

Bai Tian led them into a private room with an air of superiority, every gesture radiating self-satisfaction, an aura of being above her peers. She reveled in this satisfaction, convinced that everyone present had their eyes on her.

When that little follower she'd once scoffed at and dismissed looked at her with adoring, grateful eyes, Bai Tian felt something even more subtle and buoyant inside. She returned a haughty gaze, and Jiang Xiaoxiao, from old habit, smiled and played along. Bai Tian felt even more pleased, raised an eyebrow, and Jiang Xiaoxiao obediently moved to sit beside her. In response, Bai Tian felt a flicker of pity toward Jiang Xiaoxiao, almost like she might for a pet.

Today, Bai Tian surprisingly didn't stir up trouble or jab at anyone. She even toasted Jiang Xu, whom she'd always looked down on, to make peace. Jiang Xu gave her face and drank, saying politely, "We're all roommates."

The meal went smoothly and harmoniously. The soft crystal lights and air-conditioned atmosphere made for a pleasant dining experience. Jiang Xu thought the wine tasted good, so she had a bit more. It wasn't until she was full that Wang Yu called her to leave.

As the group stepped out, Bai Tian, walking in front, ran into an acquaintance. In her understated, comfortable heels, she trotted over to greet the woman: "Peach Sister, thanks for arranging a private room for me."

The woman, called "Peach Sister," had glossy black hair styled meticulously, wore a crisp professional suit, and her black stilettos clicked against the polished floor as she walked. She patted Bai Tian on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Well, Peach Sister has to do you a favor, doesn't she now?"

The woman's makeup was light and refined. She glanced back at Bai Tian's roommates, then walked over courteously to greet them: "Hello, I'm Jiang Tao. You can call me Peach Sister like Tian Tian does."

She looked like someone who kept others at arm's length, but turned out to be easygoing and approachable. Wang Yu greeted Jiang Tao first, and when it was Jiang Xu's turn, Jiang Tao froze for a moment.

Jiang Xu felt an inexplicable unease. Jiang Tao gave her a second look and asked, "You're a Jiang too?"

As they left the hotel lobby, the heat hit them. Jiang Xu noticed the patrons coming and going—their clothes were quite distinctive. This seemed to be some high-end hotel. Jiang Xu had never been to a place like this, so she couldn't help but be curious, much like when she'd once gone to an upscale shop with Jiang Xiaoxiao. The crystal lights around made the walls gleam, and Jiang Xu's cheeks shone as she looked back at the woman chatting with Bai Tian. The woman named Jiang Tao was walking toward the elevator, waiting for it, as if sensing something, she turned around.

Before Jiang Xu could avert her gaze, the woman smiled at her. Jiang Xu was the last to walk out. Wang Yu was waiting for her. Even in the evening, it was hot as hell; the blowing wind carried no coolness.

Jiang Xiaoxiao, as always, followed behind Bai Tian, who walked with a strut, probably still not fully appeased by Jiang Xiaoxiao's performance in recent days. Jiang Xiaoxiao sidled up to her. "Tian Tian, what private room did you get us?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao had mastered the art of playing sidekick to Bai Tian. Bai Tian snorted. "Anyway, it's not a room just anyone can book."

Jiang Xu and Wang Yu, walking behind, could hear them clearly. Wang Yu exchanged a glance with Jiang Xu, raised an eyebrow, and trotted to Bai Tian's other side to probe about the woman just now: "Bai Tian, what's your relationship with that Peach Sister? You two seem close."

Bai Tian swelled with pride. "Peach Sister's family makes snacks. Most of the food on supermarket shelves is from her family. See this hotel?" Bai Tian pointed upward, where the golden lights illuminated the sign reading "Morning Victory Hotel." "That's their family's business too."

"Oh." Wang Yu nodded thoughtfully. "Which snack brand?"

"..."

Jiang Xu inexplicably thought of that Jiang Tao again.

She opened her phone, closed it, opened it again. By the time she returned to the dorm, it was already late. Almost no one was around—the campus was empty. Bai Tian had gone home, and with her usual domineering momentum, she dragged Jiang Xiaoxiao along. Jiang Xiaoxiao said she needed to pack her bags for home. Bai Tian grabbed her ear and pulled her into her private car, declaring that things should end as they began, claiming she was drunk and needed Jiang Xiaoxiao to take care of her. Jiang Xiaoxiao had been to Bai Tian's home more than once, but Bai Tian had many homes; the one they went to was the closest to campus.

Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded in resignation, hoping Bai Tian wouldn't drink too much and have her running around all night again. She remembered the first time she'd stayed at Bai Tian's place—she'd taken care of the hungover Bai Tian and hadn't closed her eyes all night. But then again, Bai Tian hadn't even drunk all that much tonight.

Sitting in the back seat, Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at Bai Tian, a bit puzzled.

As for Wang Yu, she hadn't lived in the dorm for a while—she had a boyfriend and sold goods at a stall outside. Once, Jiang Xu and Jiang Xiaoxiao went to show support; business was good. Wang Yu mentioned she planned to open a shop. Both Jiang Xu and Jiang Xiaoxiao thought it was feasible.

When it came down to it, only Jiang Xu had nowhere to go.

The night deepened. The occasional breeze carried a faint chill. The campus was quiet, except for a couple of young lovers giggling on a bench by the roadside.

The city's neon lights were shut out beyond the campus gates. Walking on the road back to the dorm, Jiang Xu silently stared at her phone—the contacts page displaying a number she knew too well. Her note read: Sister Xiaoqing.

She stared at the screen but never made the call. The screen dimmed, then lit up again, back and forth, until she reached the dormitory door without ever making up her mind. It had been a long time since she'd called Liang Xiaoqing. She'd switched her number back to the original one, still holding out hope. But Liang Xiaoqing never called her again. She didn't know whether Liang Xiaoqing had been doing well these two years, whether she'd really gotten married, and she worried that if Liang Xiaoqing had changed her number, she'd never know it again.

The dormitory was pitch-black. Jiang Xu had taken several subway transfers from the city center and walked a long way before reaching the school. Perhaps the wine from dinner had a delayed effect; her head was feeling dizzy. She didn't turn on the light, just collapsed onto her bed, face down on the pillow. When the screen went dark, she lit it up again.

Time crawled torturously slowly in the dark. Jiang Xu stared until her eyes ached. Her muddled head felt like it couldn't think. As she lit the screen, her finger had already dialed the number.

She was startled—her whole body jolted, the phone slipping from her hand. The dial tone buzzed in her ears, and with each second, her heart beat faster, as if her legs would give out. Fumbling, she picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear. A robotic female voice rang out: "The number you have dialed is not in service..."

The emotionless voice repeated itself several times, and Jiang Xu's heart turned to ice. Disappointment, sorrow, and... absurdity. She'd never felt so ridiculous before, nor had she thought Liang Xiaoqing could abandon her so cleanly and decisively.

Having something and losing it is hard to accept. Jiang Xu had never believed it. She believed in Liang Xiaoqing's kindness, believed in the memories they'd built over all these years.

When a bond carries a sense of belonging akin to family, Jiang Xu trusted Liang Xiaoqing almost instinctively. No matter what happened, she could soothe herself. She'd tried making up countless excuses for Liang Xiaoqing, but what excuse could she find this time?

The past flashed through her mind. Jiang Xu clutched the phone, trembling. No one understood her feeling of abandonment better. No one's heart was truly as hard as stone. Jiang Xu felt her dizziness worsen. She buried her face in the pillow, trying to sleep, but her nose ached, her eyes welled up, and her tears soaked into the pillow.

From that hidden place in her heart, years of accumulated feelings came pouring out. She felt a piece of her heart missing. She couldn't help doubting Liang Xiaoqing's feelings for her—the years together slowly fading from her mind.

From now on, was she alone again...?

Jiang Xu didn't know when she'd fallen asleep. When she woke, the dorm was exactly as it had been yesterday—no one had returned. She was still in the same position as the night before. When she pushed herself up from bed, her arms were numb. She calmly headed to the bathroom for a shower. Today was the last day to stay on campus; after today, the school wouldn't house students anymore.

She skipped breakfast after her shower and rushed to work by subway. The painful feeling from last night was entirely gone. She mechanically repeated her daily routine. Just before she left, Wang Yu came back and greeted her. Wang Yu was busy packing, not noticing Jiang Xu's daze.

"Jiang Xu, is your sister coming to get you? If you're staying here, what does she say?"

Everyone in the dorm knew Jiang Xu had an older sister, and the two were close.

Wang Yu remembered when her sister had come to visit—she'd left looking devastated, telling them not to tell Jiang Xu. Now that graduation was here, Wang Yu felt she ought to mention it to Jiang Xu, because Wang Yu had sensed that Jiang Xu's attitude toward her sister had changed—become distant.

"Oh, right, Jiang Xu. Your sister..."

Wang Yu turned to look; Jiang Xu was already gone.

It was barely past seven, the sun peeking over the horizon. The morning light wasn't harsh, and along with the occasional cool breeze, Jiang Xu walked briskly forward. As she reached the school gate, a voice called out to her.

"Xiao Xu."

Something in Jiang Xu's ears exploded with a bang—she couldn't tell if it was joy or something else stirring. How could she not recognize that voice? It felt like she hadn't heard it for ages. The images that had vanished from her mind came rushing back, surging through her head.

She must be happy. Time slowed to a crawl. She turned around, afraid that what she'd just heard was a hallucination. Thankfully, it wasn't. What came into view was a familiar figure.

She wore a cream-white dress, simply styled, the hem swaying gently in the breeze. She looked a bit haggard. Jiang Xu's gaze moved slowly across her face, coming to rest on the dark circles under her eyes. Jiang Xu thought Liang Xiaoqing must have taken the train; you could never sleep well on a train.

All the anger and resentment from the past vanished in that instant. She looked at the faint smile on Liang Xiaoqing's face.

"Sister Xiaoqing." Finally, she called out that long-missed name again.

"Mm." Liang Xiaoqing seemed a bit uneasy. "Where are you heading now?"

Jiang Xu stepped forward eagerly, closing the distance, and took Liang Xiaoqing's hand.

"I—"

"Ah, truly, how you've grown. Heh heh." A man walked up from behind Liang Xiaoqing, looking about her age. Jiang Xu stared at him, feeling he looked familiar. The man smiled and said, "Xiaoqing, your little sister has changed so much, I almost didn't recognize her."

Jiang Xu disliked any man getting close to Liang Xiaoqing. That had been a habit since long ago. Instinctively, she wanted to step in front of Liang Xiaoqing. She was a bit taller than Liang now. Compared to Liang, she realized she'd grown again. Liang's hand squeezed hers, patting her palm. As hot as it was, Liang Xiaoqing's hand was still cold.

She angled her head to look at Liang Xiaoqing more closely. There was undeniable exhaustion in Liang's eyes, but when she looked at Jiang Xu, they were warm and smiling. "You still haven't told me where you're going."

Jiang Xu felt as if she were floating on a cloud—as if nothing had changed.

"Going to work." They were both stunned for a moment when she said it.

Liang Xiaoqing said, "Have you eaten breakfast? Is your workplace far from here?"

Jiang Xu wasn't sure exactly how far it was. By subway, it took about an hour.

The man looked at Jiang Xu the same way Liang Xiaoqing did, but when Jiang Xu's gaze met his, he averted his eyes and said to Liang Xiaoqing with a detached tone, "Take my car. It should be faster."

Liang Xiaoqing seemed to snap to attention. "Right, let's take Zeng Peng's car." With that, Liang Xiaoqing pulled Jiang Xu forward. A black SUV was parked on the wide roadside, its body gleaming in the sun. Liang Xiaoqing held Jiang Xu's hand, opened the door, and climbed into the back seat—the cushion was soft and comfortable. Jiang Xu got in first, then Liang Xiaoqing followed.

Jiang Xu watched the man settle into the driver's seat. He turned back and asked her address kindly, and Jiang Xu told him. The car moved forward smoothly. Jiang Xu turned her head to watch the greenery recede through the window. Having woken so early, she was now drowsy, leaning against the headrest. Liang Xiaoqing, seated next to her, noticed and asked Jiang Xu to lean on her shoulder and rest.

Jiang Xu shook her head, closing her eyes in exhaustion. She felt weary—not physical fatigue, but the exhaustion of too many thoughts. She deliberately put a little distance between herself and Liang Xiaoqing. She hated riding in other people's cars, hated that Liang Xiaoqing had pulled her into one.

Zeng Peng glanced into the rearview mirror and said good-naturedly, "Is Jiang Xu tired? I'll drive slower. We're almost there."

Jiang Xu didn't want to answer him at all; her brow furrowed deeply.

Who could actually fall asleep in that brief time? Liang Xiaoqing answered for Jiang Xu, "Okay," and told Zeng Peng to drive slowly.

Jiang Xu's brow only deepened in frustration. She scooted further away, not wanting to be near Liang Xiaoqing, her anger inexplicably surging. She truly loathed Zeng Peng, and by extension she resented Liang Xiaoqing. She felt like a fool.

She thought Liang Xiaoqing was absolutely infuriating.

Another silence fell as the car passed a narrow alley and reached its destination. Zeng Peng's tone lightened. "It's right up ahead."

Suddenly, Jiang Xu remembered who this man named Zeng Peng was.

Her heart pounded violently.

"Wait a moment." Liang Xiaoqing looked at Jiang Xu. "Just wait here for a bit."

Jiang Xu stared at her in disbelief.

Liang Xiaoqing smiled, leaned over, and raised her hand. Jiang Xu knew—this was a gesture Liang Xiaoqing often made to her. But Liang's hand didn't fall as expected. She didn't get it. Liang Xiaoqing withdrew her hand, saying softly, "Wait here. Don't leave."

A pang of loss struck her. Perhaps time had worn away their former intimacy; their reunion now held a restraint between them.

But still, she always listened to Liang Xiaoqing. She would wait. Though she didn't want to wait inside the car. She nodded faintly, signaling to Liang Xiaoqing that she would wait. Liang Xiaoqing quickly got out, disappearing from sight in an instant. Jiang Xu got out too—she didn't want to sit in that man Zeng Peng's car.

Seeing her out, Zeng Peng got out as well.

People milled around. Jiang Xu stood at the back of the car, avoiding the crowd. Zeng Peng stood beside her. She stared at him in disbelief. Zeng Peng smiled. "If you're really in a hurry, go on ahead. I'll tell Xiaoqing when she gets back."

Seeing Zeng Peng like that, her heart felt as if squeezed by a giant hand. She seemed to understand something, yet she didn't dare believe it.

If people always think the worst, then they must lack a sense of security. Jiang Xu had a dark childhood, a period that was unforgettable for a lifetime. She didn't know how to let go of such a long-held affection. But she didn't realize that the heart, too, is fickle and ever-changing.

People came and went around her, and not a single one noticed her. The noise passed through her mind, as if she weren't part of it. Zeng Peng glanced at her, scratched the back of his head—a gesture of unspoken understanding.

He smiled, pulling at his lips. "Right, I almost forgot to tell you—"

"Xiao Xu."

A high-pitched voice cut off the man. Liang Xiaoqing ran into view. Clearly, she'd heard the man speak; she was now closer to Jiang Xu, holding a bag of just-bought breakfast—two steamed buns and a cup of soy milk. Liang Xiaoqing said, "Here, take this. No matter how rushed you are, you still have time for breakfast."

So she'd asked her to wait just to buy her breakfast. Jiang Xu was stunned for a moment. Liang Xiaoqing stepped back two paces, standing with Zeng Peng. She naturally linked her arm through his, smiling brighter than ever before. Jiang Xu wanted to pull her back. She no longer cared about anything else. She wanted to tell Liang Xiaoqing that she liked her.

No—she loved her.

She wanted to confess all these years of her heart. She pleaded with Liang Xiaoqing to understand her, to wait for her.

But Liang Xiaoqing could so easily distance herself. Jiang Xu saw a faint, fine line of a smile at the corner of Liang's eye. Only then did she realize time had left its mark on her.

She wanted to speak, but her throat was choked.

"Xiao Xu, we're getting married soon." Liang Xiaoqing gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

When she smiled, her gaze was warm and gentle.

Jiang Xu didn't know how she left. Only when she reached the entrance of her workplace did she notice the breakfast she'd been holding had dropped somewhere along the way.

Right on time, her colleagues hurried through the gate. Jiang Xu followed the crowd stiffly.

The glass door reflected her tear-streaked face.

Only then did she see—she'd been crying.